At NEDC, gaskets are one of our main product lines. At times the popular tapes that are the “go-to” don’t provide the strong adhesion needed for low surface energy applications. Surfaces that can be difficult to stick to include plastics such as polypropylene, polystyrene, polyethylene, or paint/powder coated surfaces. For gaskets that are required to stick to those surfaces, sometimes a low surface energy adhesive transfer tape is a good solution.
For those type gaskets, the 300LSE series adhesive from 3M Company is a good solution for not only sticking to those surfaces but sticking to the gasket material. Below is a variety of selections available from 3M Company. These different tapes come in a number of ways, different liners, different adhesive thicknesses, or even double linered.
The 300LSE Tape Family of Adhesives
Tape#- Adhesive Thickness
3M 9472LE-5.2mil(most popular tape here among presented)
3M 9471LE-2.3mil
3M 8132LE-2.3mil (double linered version of 9471LE)
3M 8153LE-3.5mil(double linered version of 9453LE)
3M 9671LE-2.3mil
3M 9672LE-5.0mil
3M 9653LE-3.5mil
3M 9453LE-3.6mil
Does Low Surface Energy Tape Stick to Silicone Rubber?
The short answer is “no, not without a primer”. Some people believe that “low surface energy” means it will stick to anything that is low surface energy. Low Surface Energy means the tape is better at sticking to lower surface energy substrates, but primers are still required for certain substrates such as silicone rubber.
More Information on 3M 300LSE Adhesive
An important point to mention on 3M 300LSE adhesive is that these tapes are made in a solvent-free process. As a 3M converter, NEDC has access to all of these tapes mentioned above for custom die cutting, or laminating services. Many of these tapes NEDC deals with frequently. For more information on low surface energy transfer tapes, please contact sales@nedc.com.